In this week’s edition of viral TikTok theories that may or may not be completely baseless, users are convinced that red nail polish attracts men.
Off the back of the internet’s obsession with translucent chrome polish these past few months (thank you, Hailey Bieber), beauty lovers are swapping neutral tones for bright red hues after TikTok users began theorising that men prefer red nails.
This theory was popularised by user Robyn DelMonte AKA @girlbosstown, affectionately dubbed “the internet’s agent” for her ability to spot trends and concoct unique PR strategies for various celebrities and influencers— all of which she posts free of charge on her account.
While she first shared her red nail theory back in January 2022, Robyn resurrected the concept in a video on June 30th when Hailey Bieber sported the colour— solidifying red as the new cool girl nail polish.
“Every time I have red nails, every single fucking time, a guy comments on it,” she said in her video from January of this year. “I always thought red nails was like a grandma’s nail colour.”
She went on to speculate that red nails remind men of women from their childhood, as red nails were very popular in the 1990s, as well as throughout previous decades.
“Guys are attracted to red nails because growing up, all of their first celebrity crushes, teachers, their first introduction to females back in the 90s always had red nails,” she further clarified in her later video. “I swear to god, whenever I have red nails guys comment on it. I thought it was, like, a grandma colour, but trust the process.”
Over the past few weeks, Robyn’s theory has prompted women all around the world to test out this theory, with many creating TikToks claiming that it works.
Paulina Galoostian, the founder of press-on nail company Tella Nails, stitched Robyn’s video, calling the red nail theory a “fact not just a theory”.
“Red nails are sexy, bold, fashionable, French vibes, work appropriate, shows confidence,” she wrote on top of her video, explaining why men love red nails.
The hashtag #rednailtheory has just 1.8 million views at the time of writing (for TikTok, that’s pretty small!), however the theory is fast taking over FYPs, making now the perfect opportunity to jump on the trend before it explodes.
For more on TikTok beauty trends and viral products, see here.